Transcripts For BBCNEWS The Week In Parliament 20240714

It is 2 30 in the morning. Now on bbc news the week in parliament. Hello there and welcome to the week in parliament, where Boris Johnson and jeremy hunt emerge as the conservative leadership contenders. Not only is the member racist he is stocking division and has a record of dishonesty. Order, questions to the Prime Minister. We take a look atjohn bercows decade as commons speaker. Ina great in a great many respects, john bercow is different to his predecessor, certainly of the past two centuries. And is it time to relabel veggie burgers and sausages because their names are misleading . So instead of saying mock bacon, youd be saying a wheat gluten shaped smoky paprika flavoured lump thats sliced thinly . But first the final phase of the fight to be our next Prime Minister is under way. Conservative mps have put forward borisjohnson and jeremy hunt as the candidates to face party members. Theyll now take part in a series of hustings with the winner announced in mid july. Borisjohnson 160. That borisjohnson topped the poll amongst mps was no surprise hed come first in every single ballot. But it was a tight race for second, withjeremy hunt beating michael gove byjust two votes. Borisjohnson is the bookies favourite, but at Prime Ministers questions, the snps westminster leader reminded theresa may about some of the things hed said in the past. Does the Prime Minister agree with the frontrunner set to succeed her that the scottish people are a verminous race that should be placed in ghettos and exterminated . Prime minister can ijust say to the right honourable gentlemen that the conservative and Unionist Party takes the people of every part of this United Kingdom not only seriously, but we welcome the contribution from people of every part of this United Kingdom, because that is what makes the United Kingdom the great country it is, and along the scotland remain part of it. Ian blackford well of course, mr speaker, words matter and actions matter. The man who published those words in his magazine, the Prime Minister thought was fit for the office of our top diplomat. And he hasnt stopped there. He said that scotts should be banned from being Prime Minister banned from being Prime Minister, mr speaker and that a pound spent in croydon was worth more than a pound spent in strathclyde this is a man who is not fit for office. It has been said, mr speaker, the ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy. This is a time of challenge, and so i ask does the Prime Minister realise not only is the member racist, but he is a stoking division in communities and has a record of dishonesty . Does the Prime Minister honestly believe. Order 0rder if the right honourable gentleman is referring to a current member of this house, i dont know whether he is but if he is, he should be extremely careful in the language he uses. He shouldve notified the member in advance. I would urge him to weigh his words. Mr Ian Blackford. And indeed, i think it would be much better if for now, he withdrew any allegations of racism order against any particular member. I dont think that this is the forum, i dont think its the right way to behave. Mr Ian Blackford mr speaker, i have informed the member, but the member has called muslim women letterboxes, described African People as having watermelon smiles, and another disgusting slur that i would never dignify by repeating. If thats not racist, mr speaker, i dont know what is. Does the Prime Minister honestly believe that this man is fit for the office of Prime Minister . Prime minister can ijust say to the right honourable gentlemen, hes now been leader of the snp in this chamber for some time. Hes been asking Prime Ministers questions for some time, he might actually understand the purpose of Prime Ministers questions, which is to ask the Prime Minister about the actions of the government that is what he should be asking us about. And i can say to the right honourable gentlemen that i believe any conservative Prime Minister in the future will be better for scotland than the scottish nationalist party. Cheering. Theresa may. Now, its ten years since john bercow was elected speaker of the house of commons. Taking the chair in the wake of the expenses scandal, hes introduced changes, big and small, to the way westminster works and looks. Heres duncan smith. Applause. Elected in 2009 after the expenses scandal, john bercow pledged to champion the rights of the backbencher. Applause. 0rder. Urgent question, allison mcgovern. Ministers can now be summoned to answer an urgent question on issues of the day. 0rder questions to the Prime Minister and Prime Ministers questions. 0nce 30 minutes, now regularly runs to a5. But his manner divides opinion. 0rder the government chief whip has absolutely no business whatsoever shouting from a sedentary position order im really very worried about the conduct of the education secretary in the average classroom, he wouldve been excluded by now he must calm himself the ayes to the right 202. The noes to the left 228. Cheering. In 2015, a tearful mr bercow survived an attempt to unseat him. Since then, hes spoken out against donald trump. 0ur opposition to racism and sexism, and our support for equality before the law and an independentjudiciary are hugely important considerations in the house of commons applause. Hes faced calls to quit and bullying allegations, which he denies. Taking a key role in commons votes on brexit, but attracted flack for overruling precedent. John bercow originally said he would serve no more than nine years, but recently told an interviewer that with issues like brexit unresolved, now is not the time to quit the chair. Duncan smith. Well, as we heard there, john bercow had said hed give up the job after nine years, but has decided to stay on to deal with brexit. But that hasnt stopped a handful of candidates making clear theyd like the job when he goes. One of them is labours chris bryant. He sastohn bercow brought in real change. Whenjohn came in, there was a sense of a breath of fresh air. I think in the past, maybe the house had been run by the clerks a bit too much. Thats not to disparage the clerks, its just to say that sometimes, somebody with the keen eye for the wider political environment can play an important role. Chris bryants full of praise for initiatives like the education centre, which sees thousands of children visit parliament every year. But what would he do differently . Every speaker in the history of parliament has had their flaws there was one who was thrown out for taking bribes, another one was very cross eyed, which is why we are called by our name now, rather thanjust by the speaker nodding to somebody. And i guess ifjohn has a failure, its that sometimes he likes telling people off from the chair. And even when i think hes being nice, i think it feels quite hurtful. Chris bryant. So to weigh upjohn bercows first ten years in the chair, i spoke to dr hannah white from the institute for government, and lord norton of louth parliamentary expert, author, and conservative peer. I asked him ifjohn bercow would be seen as one of the great reforming speakers . I think he will, because when you look at past speakers in the role they performed, theyve presided rather than have any directional role of really rebalancing the relationship between parliament and the executive. I think thats principally his role, because when you look at reform in parliament, its carried out for different reasons. You reform it in order to strengthen the house in relation to the government, to strengthen in terms of how it goes about its works within the broader working context. But i think fundamentally, it is that point about some element of rebalancing the relationship between the house and the government. So the changes hes introduced do set him apart from his predecessors. Hannah, how would you describe his style . John bercow himself may accept that hes a little bit eccentric or tigger ish, but he has been criticised for going somewhat over the top for example, sometimes in the way he tells people off. He had to apologise a week or two ago saying that a tory mp hadnt been a very good whip, for example. Yes, i have to say when he became speaker, having worked with him as a member of parliament, i was surprised that he was willingly taking on a role where he wouldnt be able to give speeches in the chamber, because it was clearly something he enjoyed when he wasjust a normal member of parliament. And i think weve seen the sort of tension around that with him personally, that he does want to have an opportunity to speak. He does want to have an opportunity to demonstrate that he knows the house well and members well. So that has sometimes led him to say what some people would think is too much. But again, thats possibly partly because its such a contrast with some of his predecessors. And hes been a very controversial speaker in a lot of ways im thinking about the decision not to allow donald trump to come and address parliament, and his involvement in the whole brexit process. Yes, its very different from his predecessors. If they took a position, it would be quite behind the scenes. The way he goes about taking positions would be very controversial. So he becomes a bit of a marmite speaker in that respect. I think there are members throughout the house who do regard his role in rebalancing that relationship with the house and government in a very positive light, but then are somewhat critical of the extent in which that personal intervention and actually taking decisions. Hannah, we have to talk about the bullying accusations which have arisen under john bercows watch. Not going into specific allegations, do you think that there is a feeling that he could have done more personally to conquer the accusations of bullying and harassment which have really come to the fore . I think this is an example of where parliament is a difficult thing, in terms of reforming itself, because parliament doesnt have a sort of central authoritative leadership by design that can push for change. And i think that my personal view is thatjohn bercow could have done more to show leadership on the bullying and harassment issue. It was something that the commission accepted the recommendations of the review that was done, but then the commission hasnt visibly done very much, just push that agenda forward afterwards. I think it was regrettable that when there were allegations against the speaker personally, he didnt push for those to be investigated. Because actually, i think that has stymied his ability to take leadership on this. If those could have been investigated and put to one side or dealt with in whatever way was appropriate, then i think he could have taken a Stronger Leadership role on an issue which is really important and has not yet been resolved. So lord norton, final one to you what do you think the next speaker, whenever he or she appears, can learn from john bercow . What would be the takeaways from his time in the chair . I think it is that duality of his role of representing the house in relation to government, which is and ought to be the legacy which members would appreciate, and whether his successor feels the need to perhaps go back more to that presiding role. But it would be difficult, given how youve got someone, as has been mentioned, been providing a leadership role. But in a situation thats very difficult, because theres actually a structural issue. And theres nobody authoritatively who can speak for the house of commons there is divided authority, and that is part of the problem. The speaker has a role, so it would be quite a challenge, given the context in which the speaker now operates, which is now independent of john bercow. Because a bit like his predecessor, the controversy he faced over the expenses there. So there will be a challenge for a speaker, and on the one hand, having a leadership role, but at the same time being that neutral presiding officer representing the whole house. For the time being, thank you both for coming onto the programme. Now, lets take a look at some news in brief. At Prime Ministers questions, Jeremy Corbyn wanted to know why it was taking so long to make safe buildings with cladding like that used on grenfell tower. Two years on, why do 328 high rise buildings, homes to thousands of people from newham to newcastle, still have the same grenfell style cladding . Of course we asked building owners in the private sector to do the action that we believed was necessary, but we see they havent been acting quickly enough, and that is why we will fully fund the replacement of cladding on high rise residential buildings and interim measures are in place where necessary on all 163 high rise a private residential buildings with unsafe acm cladding. The government has urged up to half a million owners of tumbledryers to send them back amid concerns theyre a fire risk. Some of the whirlpool dryers have already been modified. A conservative had a personal reason for championing safety in the home. I dont talk about this a lot in public but i lost my father in an electrical accident when i was ten, and there isnt a fathers day for a0 years when i havent wished he were still here. Consumer safety must come first. Can i thank the minister for the action she has taken today . We do have some of the strongest consumer Safety Standards in the world, but sometimes the enforcement is challenging. So, will she take this occasion to also consider ways of strengthening the enforcement and whether penalties against producers are effective and Strong Enough . The computer game fortnite has become a global phenomenon with more than 200 million players. But critics, including prince harry, say its addictive. Executives from the Company Behind it, epic games, have been questioned by mps looking into immersive and addictive technologies. The chair of the committee quoted what prince harry had said. Its created to addict, an addiction to keep you in front of the computer for as long as possible, its so irresponsible. What response would you give to prince harry about the concerns he has expressed about fortnite . We were quite taken aback at epic, and really rather surprised because the statements that were made, in ourview, couldnt be further from the truth, from our intentions and design philosophy. Its really always been in our effort and intent to create a fun, fair, flexible, engaging, and generous form of Interactive Entertainment for our audience. And, so, i feel like a statement that suggests there was some sort of nefarious attempt to extract short term profit is a real mischaracterisation. An age check scheme designed to stop under 18s viewing pornographic websites has been delayed for a second time. The new rules would require pawn sites to verify the age of uk Internet Users who could face being blocked if they fail to comply. The culture secretary admitted this fresh delay was due to an error by his department. Although my statement is an apology for delay, it is not a change of policy or a lessening of this governments determination to bring these changes about. Age verification for online pornography needs to happen. This latest delay does not inspire confidence, which is extremely serious given that this is a matter about protecting children from harmful content. And another six month delay is not acceptable. A labour mp says the government needs to come up with a strategy for recycling out of service nuclear submarines. Luke pollard said the uk still had every nuclear sub its ever owned, with 13 in plymouth and seven in rosyth. These submarines are not only taking up valuable space in our dockyards, but they are costing the taxpayers millions of pounds a year in storage and maintenance costs. The Public Accounts Committee have today released a report that puts the cost for the taxpayer at £30 million a year. This money could and should be used for dismantling and de fuelling those submarines and finally dealing with these retired boats. The report warns the mod are reaching a crisis point in terms of space. It says that the mod will run out of space to store these submarines by the mid 2020s. Theres to be a by election in brecon and radnorshire after more than 10 of voters signed a petition recalling the sitting mp. Chris davies. The conservative, admitted a false expenses claim at Southwark Crown court in march. Its the second time an mp has been removed by voters. There will now be a by election, in which mr davies will be able to stand if he wishes. The court of appeal has ordered the government to review the way it grants export licences for arms sales to saudi arabia. Ministers are legally obliged to assess allegations of serious Human Rights Violations before letting sales go ahead. In the case of saudi arabias war in yemen, judges said the government had made no attempt to do so. In a commons statement, the International Trade secretary said the court had not ruled that the decisions were right or wrong, only that the Decision Making process was flawed. We disagreed with the judgement and will seek permission to appeal. Alongside this, we are carefully considering the implications of the judgement for Decision Making. While we do this, we will not grant any new licences for export to saudi arabia and its Coalition Partners which might be used in the conflict in yemen. I would stress that this judgement is not about whether the government made the right or wrong decisions but whether the Decision Making process was rational. And the judgement emphasises that there would not be only one answer on future risks, if historic violations were found to have taken place. In other words, changing the process, as set out by the court, does not necessarily mean any of the decisions would be different. We are supposed to be the guardians of International Humanitarian law, not that people found in breach of it. The court of appeals ruling today is a damning indictment of this governments handling of export licences to the kingdom of saudi arabia. The secretary of state has tried to excuse himself by pleading that this judgement is not about whether the government has made the right a wrong decision, but whether the Decision Making process was rational. Surely even he must understand that if the decision process was not rational, then the government could have no confidence that it was correct. Barry gardiner. Now, what happens when a Commons Committee produces a report, and the government ignores it . The Environmental Audit committee has called for action to put a stop to throwaway clothes and poor working conditions in the fashion supply chain. But the government says measures to tackle the impact of fast fashion are already in place. The Committee Chair mary creagh says this isnt the first time a report has been ignored. She spoke to faye kidd. They have hinted that they might want to look at an extended producer responsibility scheme but they are talking about consulting on it and introducing it by around 2025. We have scientists warning us that we have just 11 years left to tackle damaging Climate Change and keep global temperature rises down to one and a half degrees. 0ur report is a really important way to talk about Sustainable Production and sustainable consumption. These are things that the government has signed up to, at the un, at the eu. It doesnt seem to want to take the policy decisions to make them a reality. Weve been incredibly frustrated in the past, for example, our reports into disposable coffee cups and plastic bottles recommended that we should stop the off shoring of plastic waste, introduce a latte levy and introduce the deposit return scheme. And here we are few years on still waiting to see any Government Action those things. Do you think that select committees have enough power . I think in a hung parliament, which is what we are in at the moment, select committees are incredibly powerful, and that we have the powers to ask any minister to come and give evidence in front of us. One of the frustrations has been that there is a completely revolving door set of ministers so in terms of trying to do continuity and Holding Ministers to account, its very difficult. And would a change of leadership make a difference . I think that until we unblock the brexit pipeline, the best minds in the British Civil Service and the British Government will be focused on what to do about this critical issue, and that we wont get back to politics as usual as we know it until that issue is resolved. So, we have. It is an incredibly important time for select committees, it is really important that given that parliament isnt legislating, that mps are still able to make a contribution to the nation and its policy making through select committees. And i hope that on our committee that weve demonstrated that we can do that time and again. Mary creagh. Finally, the eu is weighing up proposals to prevent the manufacturers of vegetarian food from using words like sausage, burger and mince to describe their products, on the grounds they could mislead consumers. But a lords inquiry has heard that other descriptions, such as veggie tube or veggie disc, could deter people from buying food that supporters believe is healthier and better for the environment. So, instead of saying mock bacon, youd be saying a wheat gluten shaped smoky paprika flavoured lump that is sliced thinly. It just would become quite impossible. Who owns the word mince . If you look at the word mince, it means chopped up finely. You mince and onions, you mince garlic, you mince herbs. In fact, inside a mince pie, theres no meat, right . Its chopped up fruits. So i think language and terms like that mean that you can be overly restrictive on terms. The nfu is relaxed about vegetarian sausages and burgers but not other terms. I think we are quite concerned about, i think you used the term ripping off, or sort of mimicking terms. We are quite concerned about that, as i said in terms of chicken style or there is a product called vegetarian shredded duck. Well, is the duck vegetarian or is it a vegetarian product . What is it . To my mind, youve got some fantastic products coming through, 20 of products coming to shelves are vegetarian or vegan products with fantastic credentials and they are getting customers excited about it. Quite why you need to rip off meat terms, i dont know. Actually, we do want to mimic meat, we actively want to mimic meat because we want to get people to drive a conscious choice and to continue with their same eating behaviours, so, put vegetarian burger inside a bun and still enjoy a barbecue with people whether they want to eat meat or not eat meat. Geoff bryant. All we need now is a bit of barbecue weather and thats it from me for this week, dojoin us on Bbc Parliament on monday night at pm for a full round up of the day here at westminster. But for now from me, alicia mccarthy, goodbye. Hello. More of a feel of summer in the weather this week but, with some fairly humid weather over the next few days, comes a real risk of severe thunderstorms. Not everyone will see them but, where you do, an increased risk of some flash flooding around. Summer is back good and proper. In the here and now, a weather system with outbursts of thunder. 0utbreaks of rain which is pretty heavy. Eastern scotland as we start the day. South easterly wind. The greatest risk of waterflooding here. Temperatures around 10 ii greatest risk of waterflooding here. Temperatures around 10 11 degrees. Temperatures around 10 11 degrees. Temperatures no lower than 18 celsius. Rain pushing northwards. Some sunshine breaking through elsewhere but then a case of all or nothing. 0ne elsewhere but then a case of all or nothing. One or two isolated thunderstorms, this is a worst Case Scenario pushing northwards across eastern england. Keeping in mind it could be a little bit less wet than that but when you get the sunshine, hot across the south. A little bit cooler than we saw through sunday across parts of some scotland into the evening, monday night into tuesday, another batch of storms into central and eastern parts of england. Again, a bit of uncertainty exactly where they will be but flash flooding and a human night with gusty winds. They will work their way into north east england through the Tuesday Morning rush hour with the Tuesday Morning rush hour with the potential disruption. A rumble of thunder on tuesday but turning bright and lighter. It will fill form in this sunshine. Increased amounts of humidity in eastern scotland. It will drop a touch for the middle part. Later on, we start to tap onto warmth across parts of this area. Hot air from the new continent. Temperatures speaking at 31. Welcome to bbc news. Im reged ahmad. Our top stories as tensions intensify with iran, us secretary of state mike pompeo heads to the middle east for talks with american allies. Celebrations on the streets, but a serious setback for turkeys president erdogan as his party loses control of istanbul. Jobs are being shelved, so why do some businesses still support trumps trade wars . We report from Americas Industrial heartland. Thailand marks one year since the cave rescue that captivated the world celebrations and thanksgiving take place at the site where a group of boys and their football coach survived 18 days underground